What's the point of music? Ask Peter Gabriel

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  • Radio64
    Full Member
    • Jan 2014
    • 962

    What's the point of music? Ask Peter Gabriel

    by Alain de Botton

    Whether releasing sadness or sending shivers down our spines, the songs in our ‘emotional toolbox’ can transform daily life … if we learn how to use them
    "Gone Chopin, Bach in a minuet."
  • jean
    Late member
    • Nov 2010
    • 7100

    #2
    'The great musicians – and Gabriel is among the very best...'

    Really?

    Comment

    • Pabmusic
      Full Member
      • May 2011
      • 5537

      #3
      Well I for one agree that Peter Gabriel is exceptional. Whatever music does it for you, it is more important than many people give credit for. I'm pleased to say that PG still does it for me.

      (An Old Carthusian, like RVW.)

      Comment

      • jean
        Late member
        • Nov 2010
        • 7100

        #4
        I'd never heard of him, but I played the song that accompanied the article and I thought it banal in the extreme.

        The interesting question is why its effect on me is so very different from its efffect on everyone else.

        Comment

        • Radio64
          Full Member
          • Jan 2014
          • 962

          #5
          Originally posted by jean View Post
          'The great musicians – and Gabriel is among the very best...'

          Really?
          Well certainly a lot better than most ... talking of pop/rock types of course.
          "Gone Chopin, Bach in a minuet."

          Comment

          • Pabmusic
            Full Member
            • May 2011
            • 5537

            #6
            Originally posted by jean View Post
            I'd never heard of him, but I played the song that accompanied the article and I thought it banal in the extreme.

            The interesting question is why its effect on me is so very different from its efffect on everyone else.
            Music is very personal, of course. Here's the complete Selling England By The Pound album (when Genesis did things other than soft rock). The first eight minutes give a flavour. The vocals (and a bit of flute toward the end) is PG, who also wrote it.

            Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

            Comment

            • Radio64
              Full Member
              • Jan 2014
              • 962

              #7
              Originally posted by jean View Post
              I'd never heard of him,.......
              Now that I find hard to believe. Admirable in a way.

              Did you know David Bowie is dead? Had you ever heard of David Bowie?!?
              "Gone Chopin, Bach in a minuet."

              Comment

              • jean
                Late member
                • Nov 2010
                • 7100

                #8
                Don't patronise me.

                Comment

                • Radio64
                  Full Member
                  • Jan 2014
                  • 962

                  #9
                  Originally posted by jean View Post
                  Don't patronise me.
                  Didn't mean to, but i just found it surprising you'd never heard of Peter Gabriel.
                  "Gone Chopin, Bach in a minuet."

                  Comment

                  • Beef Oven!
                    Ex-member
                    • Sep 2013
                    • 18147

                    #10
                    We had this sort of thing on the Bowie thread. Why people think it important to tell us they hadn't heard of an extremely well known musician is mysterious to me.

                    Comment

                    • Stanfordian
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 9308

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Radio64 View Post
                      Now that I find hard to believe. Admirable in a way.

                      Did you know David Bowie is dead? Had you ever heard of David Bowie?!?
                      Gabriel is another of these overrated pop musicians that try to add pseudo-intellectual aspect to their writing. The song with those incessant tom-toms is one I hope I don’t have to hear. Play it at my funeral as I wont have to hear it! Ha! Ha!

                      Comment

                      • Beef Oven!
                        Ex-member
                        • Sep 2013
                        • 18147

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Stanfordian View Post
                        Gabriel is another of these overrated pop musicians that try to add pseudo-intellectual aspect to their writing. The song with those incessant tom-toms is one I hope I don’t have to hear. Play it at my funeral as I wont have to hear it! Ha! Ha!
                        Lots of musicians are overrated Stan. It's not PG's fault if he's one of them. His music is very good, though.

                        Comment

                        • jean
                          Late member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 7100

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Radio64 View Post
                          Didn't mean to, but i just found it surprising you'd never heard of Peter Gabriel.
                          Originally posted by Beef Oven! View Post
                          We had this sort of thing on the Bowie thread. Why people think it important to tell us they hadn't heard of an extremely well known musician is mysterious to me.
                          Well, I wasn't aware that Peter Gabriel was extremely well known - does that excuse me to any extent? Though when I followed Pabs's link, I realised I had heard of Genesis.

                          From this limited awareness I'd say the early stuff was more interesting than the later, but I still wouldn't go to him for an understanding of the point of music.

                          Comment

                          • Radio64
                            Full Member
                            • Jan 2014
                            • 962

                            #14
                            Apart from early Genesis and some of his solo experimental stuff he's also (well) known for his work with World Music and bringing in into the mainstream in the 80s .. WOMAD festival plus some of his own works ..

                            What's the one with the incessant tom-toms? Biko?
                            "Gone Chopin, Bach in a minuet."

                            Comment

                            • MrGongGong
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 18357

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Stanfordian View Post
                              Gabriel is another of these overrated pop musicians that try to add pseudo-intellectual aspect to their writing. The song with those incessant tom-toms is one I hope I don’t have to hear. Play it at my funeral as I wont have to hear it! Ha! Ha!
                              It doesn't do you any favours you know

                              Comment

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